Take your 70-year-old parents and four dogs on a RV trip

Author of picture and text: Mustard is not spicy

I forgot that this is our first long-distance trip with dogs

Let me introduce the members of the tour group

Iced tea, Husky, 12.5 years old, boy

Jerry, Teddy, 11.5 years old, boy

Salmon, red Shiba Inu, 4.5 years old, boy

< p> Black Tuna, black Shiba Inu, 8 months old, boy, the new long-legged brother of our family in 2019.

And my father and mother, the puppies’ 70-year-old grandfather (Grandpa) and 67-year-old grandmother (Lafayette)

And my niece, the puppies are 8 years old My cousin/cousin (Xiaomi)

This trip is by self-driving. In order to make the passengers more comfortable, the transportation is an RV

In this trip, we are together Met the Ulan Maodu Grassland full of wild flowers in early summer

We traveled through the dense forest of Aershan together

Visited Tianchi in Aershan

We also went to various places Borders and ports

We saw the sea at the inland Bell Lake

Experienced a yurt and bonfire party together

Watching cattle and sheep on the Hulunbuir Prairie< /p>

Revisited the Ergun Wetland

Camped in the forest

Watched the sunset on those beautiful hillsides and rivers

Me Traveling actually started when I was very young. Every winter and summer vacation when I was young, my parents would take my sister and me to visit famous mountains and rivers. Self-driving travel was also a new world they opened up for me when I was young. They took me through many places that are still called secret places today.

During those years on the road with them, I learned to read maps and highway mileage signs, learned to read watersheds to judge my ascent and descent, learned to plan routes and find accommodation.

Later, when I could go out independently, they let me go, and I was immersed in the joy of flying freely. I forgot to ask them how they traveled during those times

Later, one day, I suddenly found that my parents had gray hair and would start to doze off while sitting on the sofa chatting. They were old

So when I think about it carefully, I have never taken a complete trip with them for more than a week since I graduated from school.

What’s more, in the past 10 years, I have not lived with them for more than a week continuously. Such details surprised me. When I was enjoying flying freely, I forgot Give them more, but what can I give them? They don’t want anything, they all say yes

Then, give time, use time to accompany me, maybe the only thing I can give, and they are willing All I want is companionship. Life never waits. Since you want to accompany you, then do it now! Find something we both like, I will accompany them and do it together!

If you think about it, since Lafayette had surgery on his lumbar spine more than ten years ago, he has never taken a long-distance trip for more than a week. So, when I discovered that renting an RV is very convenient now, it only took me two days, so I decided to rent an RV as quickly as possible and take them on a trip as soon as possible!

At first, my travel proposal was still rejected by my mother. She said it was too far and I couldn’t sit in a car or climb a mountain.

I explained to her that we were going in the RV and you could just lie down in the back when you were tired. We were going to Inner Mongolia and the grasslands. There was no altitude there and the roads there were flat. Lafayette still wanted to refuse. The old man said that in the entire Chinese territory, I have only visited Sansha, Ali in Tibet, and Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia. So Lafayette stopped talking and acquiesced to this trip

So our destination was set to be Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia. Since Lafayette wanted to go to Chengde, we chose to go north from Chengde and enter Inner Mongolia via Horqin Grassland.

The final itinerary is as follows:

D1-D4 Shanghai - Chengde - Tongliao - Ulanhot

D5 Ulanhot - Ulan Maodu - Aershan

D6 Aershan

D7 Aershan-Bier Lake-Manzhouli

D8-D9 Manzhouli-Heishantou

D10 Heishantou-Shiwei< /p>

D11 Shiwei-Genhe

D12 Genhe-Hailaer

D13-D14 Hailar-Aershan-Chengde

D15-16 Chengde-Ganyu-Shanghai

Because I was not driving my own car this time, I went to the RV base half a day in advance to pick up the car and learn to adapt to driving an RV.

There are generally two types of RVs. One is a trailer-type RV, which refers to an RV that has no power of its own and needs to be towed to get on the road. This type of RV usually has a large living space, but is also difficult to drive. It is very high, so it is usually used as a camp hotel in China. The other is a self-propelled RV, which has its own power and can be driven on the road, and has greater flexibility.

The vehicle we chose is a Maxus C-type self-propelled RV, which can accommodate 4-6 people. There are beds above and below the rear of the vehicle and on the top of the vehicle. It can accommodate up to 6 people at most.

After providing our ID card and driver's license at the base and going through the car pick-up procedures, a staff member took us to the car and introduced and demonstrated various functions and usage methods to us.

In addition to the driving area, most of the internal equipment controls of the entire RV are concentrated on this small panel on the door.

I was originally worried about how to use it when driving an RV for the first time. I couldn't remember it at first, but later I discovered that there is a QR code for instructions on the cab console. You can just scan it at any time when you don't know what to do.

After some explanations, the staff finally handed the keys to us. That's right, it's such a big list. The driver's and passenger's door, fuel tank and ignition keys are the biggest keys. Then the rear compartment and the external storage box of the RV are the same key. Clean water tank, black water tank (i.e. toilet waste storage tank), sewage tank There are three different keys for the box and external water gun. It sounds a little complicated, but you will know it once you try it~

Considering that you have to take a dog with you in the car, especially if you have The young and curious Bluefin Tuna were afraid that their grandparents would trip over someone when they were getting in and out of the car, or take the opportunity to jump out, so they installed a safety fence at the rear door.

Safety gates can prove useful when traveling in an RV with dogs.

After returning home, we moved our luggage under the curious onlookers of the neighbors. We set off, placing two storage boxes full of snacks in the space between the driver and the passenger, and then it became our first long trip. The throne of the time-traveling bluefin tuna, and the power box behind the driver's seat

became the throne of salmon and Jerry. During the subsequent travels, these two places were always fought over by the three puppies. After setting off for a while, Iced Black Tea walked around in the car by herself

and then climbed to the back. The bed - there is a window at the head of the bed, so you can just look out at the scenery outside

And I was prepared for this, knowing that they would all find a comfortable place with a view, so as soon as I got the car, I put the The bed in the back was also covered with waterproof sheets so they wouldn't stain the bed when they jumped on it.

Just like that, we set off to pick up my grandparents and Xiaomi. Because there was a lot of storage space in the car, we didn’t pack the dog food this time. We just put the dog food bucket and water bowl together. Moved into the car.

Once again, we picked up our grandparents and children under the watchful eye. It has been a long time since we took a long-distance trip by car. Our grandparents prepared a lot of luggage, but it doesn’t matter. Our car has a lot of storage areas, which is appropriate. After all the luggage of everyone and the dog was digested, and the storage space under the bed was not even used, everyone gathered together and the trip officially started.

This trip is a trip that fulfills my wish. My parents, my puppy, we can get along with each other for two weeks, travel together and live together.

After putting all the luggage in the right place, it was already dinner time. Let’s have dinner for the puppies first

As soon as my cousin got in the car, iced black tea was served. For my brother’s sake, my cousin would carry the bowl for me to eat.

And for our dinner, we had some food prepared by Lafayette. Because there is a refrigerator with a large capacity on the RV, we happily brought a variety of food and fruit drinks on board.

Our awesome driver Daguo

On the first night, we arrived at Binhai in Yancheng just before 12 o'clock. After getting off the highway, we found a hotel at random and arranged for the old man and Lafayette to go there. After settling in, we slept in the car with the puppies. Like most parents who worry about their children, Lafayette felt a little bit sad about this hotel where they only had a shower and 6 hours of sleep but had to pay several hundred yuan. , asked me quietly the next day how much the room cost last night.

I said, Mom, I don’t care how much it costs, I just want you two to sleep more comfortably. You just need to tell me whether you sleep comfortably or not. During the next trip, Lafayette never asked about the house price again.

Compared to Lafayette and the old man who were a little nervous after not driving for many years (maybe because they were worried about our driving skills or route arrangement skills?) the children were much more relaxed.

She volunteered to sleep in the car with us because she didn’t want to miss any time with the puppies.

Because we were in a hurry, we said Fortunately, we were ready to leave at 7 o'clock the next day. It was the first time we slept in the car. Both us and the four puppies actually slept very well. It's good to have a big heart, and obviously Lafayette and the old man were worried about us. I was still walking my dog ??at half past six when they checked out and got in the car. I just got out of the car and went to the back door to get something, but the passenger seat was occupied by my long-legged brother.

The kids insisted on calling this car "Cucumber". After thinking about "Liangliang" and "Guagua", I decided to call it "Guagua"

No matter where the Guaguahao is parked, it is very eye-catching. I like the sentence on the car very much

Take it home and set off for a better life

We stopped briefly in the service area at noon and had lunch. With the safety fence, we could safely open the rear compartment door to breathe. Later we found that it could also block many curious people who forgot the boundaries. We encountered the car door twice. Inexplicably, someone suddenly opened the door from the outside and said that he wanted to get in the car and take a look. The fence saved us a lot of things

After lunch, we continued on our way. The old man had the habit of taking a nap, so he went to the upper level of the car. On the bed, I saw Lafayette tidying up the sheets behind me, and I thought she was going to lie down for a while, but I heard her say, okay, you go up and sleep. When I turned around, it was the salmon sleeping on it. I asked the salmon to come down, but grandma said , let it sleep, I want to sit for a while. Grandma is the puppy’s biological grandmother

On the afternoon of the second day when I went out, I had already begun to realize how happy it is to travel with the family in an RV.

You can take out ice Coke and water from the refrigerator at any time. You can go to the toilet at any time when you want to go. When you are tired from sitting, you can stand up and move around. It is really as happy as being in a mobile home.

After nightfall, we arrived at our destination for the next day, Chengde. The hotel in Chengde was booked on the way. The lady at the front desk loved the puppies very much and her petting gestures were very professional.

The reason we stayed in Chengde was that Lafayette wanted to take her children to the Summer Resort. She always thought the Summer Resort was very beautiful, so that morning, after breakfast, she gave them tea. After hailing a car, the three of them went to the summer resort.

Since we are not allowed to bring dogs, we rested with the puppies in the hotel and waited for them to play well before picking them up. This is the best view from the front and back of the car, both inside and outside the car. , the competition is fierce every day.

Because the old man and the others visited the summer resort much faster than we expected, we only had lunch in the service area after leaving Hebei and entering Inner Mongolia. During the nap time in the carriage, the two little ones each found their own comfortable positions and slept soundly.

Generally speaking, time on the road is always boring, but because the RV has enough space, Xiaomi and grandma played poker after a nap, and listened to them arguing and arguing behind, which made Xiaomi The journey became more enjoyable. The puppy woke up and started to look at the scenery.

The destination on the third day was Tongliao. On the way, I tried to call the hotel where I stayed when I went to Northeast China in early 2018. The hotel readily agreed to let the puppies stay again. Hi!

In the evening, I took everyone to eat sheep and scorpions. It was an old restaurant that I had been to in 18 years. Lafayette really disliked the smell of sheep, but after eating it, he said it had no taste at all and it was acceptable.

After dinner, Lafayette reminded me to eat the mangoes in the refrigerator, and happily agreed that during the days when I lived with my parents, someone would even remember the fruits for me after the meal.

After eating a bowl of noodles next to the hotel, we set off again, heading north along National Highway 111

We have entered Inner Mongolia, so let’s talk about Inner Mongolia.

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is located in the northern border of my country. It is a long and narrow area that extends obliquely. The straight-line distance from east to west of Inner Mongolia is 2,400 kilometers, and the north-south span is 1,700 kilometers. It borders Mongolia and the Russian Federation in the north, and the land border is 4,200 kilometers long.

Contrary to our imagination, Inner Mongolia is not an empty and flat plain. The terrain of the entire Inner Mongolia region is relatively high, with an average altitude of about 1,000 meters. It is basically a plateau-type landform area. In the world's natural divisions, the southeastern part of the Mongolian Plateau in central Asia and its surrounding areas are collectively referred to as the Inner Mongolia Plateau. The Inner Mongolia Plateau is the second largest plateau among the four major plateaus in China.

In the central and eastern part of Inner Mongolia, there is the largest meadow grassland in China. There are three main grasslands, Hulunbuir Grassland, Xilin Gol Grassland and Horqin Grassland. Among them, Hulunbuir Grassland is also the largest natural pasture in China. Our destination is This vast expanse of prairie.

Currently we are at the edge of the Horqin Grassland

Horqin means famous archer in Mongolian. In the past dynasties, it was one of the nomadic areas under the jurisdiction of Habtu Hasal, the second brother of Genghis Khan. It was located in eastern Inner Mongolia, at the northwest end of the Songliao Plain, and included the entire Xing'an League and part of Tongliao City.

Xiaozhuang Garden, does it look familiar? Yes, Horqin Grassland is the birthplace of Kangxi’s grandmother, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Here, she is just a girl, Da Yuer

Well, Mama

Where is the promised grassland?

Horqin Grassland was once a land with many rivers and luxuriant water and grass.

According to records, in the 10th century AD, the natural conditions were "fertile land suitable for farming, water and grass suitable for livestock raising". However, by the late 19th century, due to people's unreasonable use of grasslands, the desertification area of ??Horqin grassland increased sharply. The area north of Chifeng, once known as "eight hundred miles of flat pine forest", has now become a vast sandy land.

Today, in order to prevent desertification, grassland degradation and soil salinization, people have taken measures such as grassland closure, plowing and reseeding, artificial grass planting, and construction of protective forests.

Therefore, on the way north from Tongliao, we can see large areas of farmland and many woods, but there is no large area of ??grassland scenery

Not long after leaving Tongliao, we came Arriving at the Xing'an League.

League is a unique administrative division of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The administrative division categories are the same as prefecture-level cities, regions, and autonomous prefectures, and they belong to prefecture-level administrative regions. There are currently three leagues in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, namely the Xilingol League, the Alxa League, and the Xing'an League.

Xing'an League is named after it is located in the middle section of the Greater Khingan Mountains. "Xing'an" means hills in Manchu.

In terms of geographical location, Xing'an League is located in the transition zone from the Greater Hinggan Mountains to the Songnen Plain, so everything from mountains to grasslands to rolling hills can be seen in Xing'an League.

Our journey today is basically on National Highway 111

The national highway is in good condition and there are not many cars

We are driving in front

From behind came the small voices of old people and young people talking

Looking back

They were playing cards happily

Continue watching the road

I couldn’t help but raise the corners of my mouth

At around one o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Ulanhot, where the administrative management of the Xing’an League is located

Ulanhot is not big, so we looked online and chose A chain hotel in the city center directly came to discuss the problem of bringing dogs. The front desk told me that my mobile phone number was their gold member. Since I could get 50 off each room, I silently admitted that I was a member. After lunch, we drove to the Genghis Khan Temple on the outskirts of Ulanhot.

Four puppies were stopped at the entrance of the temple and could not enter. The outdoor sun was also very hot, and the puppies all stuck out their tongues. Just take a check-in photo and get on the bus

Grandpa, grandma and cousin are playing in the scenic spot

We will take photos in the car

From this day on, We began to experience the scorching heat in the north during the day

Waiting for grandpa and grandma to enjoy the Genghis Khan Temple

We returned to the hotel

It was too hot outside, so we still had to blow on the air conditioner.

BTW, I want to say that this trip made me discover that Wangzai crushed ice is really a magic tool to relieve the heat.

There is a refrigerator with strong freezing power in the car, which is really a great thing in summer. What a happy thing

Please stay tuned for more exciting content in the future.

Author of picture and text: Mustard is not spicy